Where You Keep Your Treasure
by TVFanoftheYear
Summary: They had trucked in box after box, but the real treasure was the one in his arms.


_Just a little something to tide you over while I finish "Handle with Care."_

 _Oh, wait, did I just give you the title? Silly me..._

* * *

Oliver dashed into the house with the last box. The skies opened up and a torrential rain poured down. He turned around to appreciate his good fortune, now barely able to see the moving truck parked along the curb for the curtain of rain.

He carefully set it the box down in the entryway and rounded the corner into the living room, a poorly lit minefield of boxes.

An initial round of storms earlier in the day had knocked out the power, forcing the newlyweds to outfit their living room with a few candles and camping lanterns to keep the room lit while continuing to unpack. Rita and Norman had done a great deal to help, but a promised dinner with Norman's parents had sent them off about the time the first set of storms rolled through. He and Shane were alone, and both were nearing their limit.

From across the room, he could see Shane's frame in the bay window that sealed the deal in their buying the house. Oliver leaned against the door frame to admire the glow of their makeshift lighting, and the aura that encapsulated Shane as she sat unaware of the beauty she added to the scene.

He let out a sigh, unintentionally breaking the spell. Shane to turned her attention to her no doubt exhausted husband.

"It looks like you made it just in time," she said with a smile.

He began to walk towards her, careful to avoid disturbing either boxes or candles. She giggled as she watched him weave through the maze.

"I am beginning to rethink this lighting solution," he thought aloud.

"You're just tired. Come sit with me," Shane said, patting the open space next to her.

Oliver avoided the last obstacle on the way to the bay window, and happily obliged her offer to sit. He leaned his back against the bit of wall next to the window frame and relaxed for the first time in hours.

Shane took the opportunity to admire his profile as he watched the rain storm, an action which eventually drew his attention back to her.

"Come here," he whispered, reaching out for her arm and gently pulling her towards him.

She smiled, and pushed herself closer to Oliver, letting her back sink comfortably into his chest. Oliver wrapped his arms around her and let his cheek rest on the side of her head. Neither one of them had ever been more comfortable than they were at that moment, despite the fact they hadn't even laid out the cushion meant for the bay window seat beneath them.

The two sat in silence, their breathing patterns gradually slowing until they were identical, the calming beat of the rain relaxing them both.

"I imagine this is how evenings were spent prior to the invention of electricity," Oliver reasoned.

"But I bet their view wasn't from a bay window like this," Shane reasoned.

"You're probably right. They probably gazed upon heavily wooded forest as opposed to as yet unknown neighbors," Oliver said, realizing he still had a little bit of energy left to give her a hard time.

"I think I would have loved it," Shane whispered, pulling his arms around her a little tighter.

Shane's response surprised him, but it was this same unpredictability that he loved about her, and now had the privilege of admiring for the rest of his life.

While her attention remained on the slowly fogging windows, Oliver's attention shifted to Shane's left hand. He gently took the hand in his and admired the vintage ring that once belonged to his grandmother, which had inexplicably resurfaced just around the time he began to consider asking Shane to marry him. The gold band and three stones reminded him that a cord of the strands is not easily broken, a thought that always brought him peace and comfort. His favorite thing, though, was the scripture engraved on the inside of both their wedding bands.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Shane smile.

"Wherever you keep your treasure…" she whispered, somehow reading his mind.

"…there your heart will be, too," he finished quietly, weaving their fingers together and planting a kiss on the side of her head.

They had trucked in box after box of family heirlooms, daily necessities and modern conveniences. But to Oliver, the real treasure was the one he held in his arms.

* * *

 _The End._

 _Reviews keep me going. I have never been more serious in my life-they are a serious motivator! Please leave them if you have them :)  
_


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